Mumbai: Hopes to find more survivors continued to dwindle further on Thursday as the search entered the fourth day with 37 bodies being recovered so far. 38 other members of the barge crew remain missing.
INS Kolkata reached Mumbai and disembarked the bodies of the victims who were found on Thursday along with the survivors and rejoined the search operations. INS Kochi has also rejoined the operations.
So far, 188 survivors have been rescued from the sunken barge that went adrift due to the impact of Cyclone Tauktae near Mumbai where it was stationed. Barge P305 had 261 people on board at the time of the incident.
Indian Navy ships worked through the night, using searchlights to trace any movement in the pitch-dark waters, as hopes of finding more survivors began to recede on Thursday.
The Navy on Thursday morning launched a fresh aerial search and rescue mission, deploying helicopters to scour the waters off Mumbai coast, where the accommodation barge P305 went adrift before it sank Monday.
Meanwhile, Mumbai police have said they will conduct a probe as to why the ill-fated barge remained in the turbulent area despite warnings about Cyclone Tauktae. The police have registered an accidental death report (ADR) on Wednesday in connection with the death of the personnel on the barge.
